Sweet Justice
by Yhoretta
Summary: It is certainly one of the weirdest cases the Doctor and Sarah have been given on behalf of U.N.I.T. People with glowing blue eyes turning up at a shopping mall and customers dying for no apparent reason. Being assigned to work at two different shops and keep an eye out isn't the worst job they could have gotten, but it is about to get a whole lot stranger.
1. The Brigadier and the broomstick

The Doctor looked disdainfully over the shelf of multi-coloured records. He wasn't all too pleased with the shop he'd been entrusted to watch. Sarah Jane had gotten the longer end of the stick by _far_. She was situated just across from him in the mall, running a lolly shop. He would have loved to have been assigned to that one, if only to snatch a few Mint Patties.

"_Thank you for agreeing to take part in this investigation," the Brigadier had said. "There have been multiple sightings of human shoppers glowing with an odd blue light around their eyes. One woman even claims to have seen a non-terrestrial humanoid escaping into the elevator. All you need to do is to pretend you work here and report any suspicious findings. The investigation wraps up in a week's time but we've placed you two at the largest entrance, so it shouldn't take too long."_

"_Can we at least swap shops Brigadier?" asked Sarah Jane. "I'd really love to listen to some free music over at the Doctor's post."_

"_I'm afraid that's not possible Miss Smith. We've already arranged this with the real owners, and it's too late to change it all anyway. The other employees won't be too much of a bother, they've all been briefed."_

"_What exactly did you tell them?" questioned the Doctor._

"_Oh, nothing too outrageous. Just that you were on dispatch from the U.N and needed the use of the Music store and the Sweet shop. I too am going undercover. I'll be monitoring the south entrance."_

"_That would explain your outfit," said Sarah, motioning to the Brigadier's janitorial uniform._

"_We all have to make a living Miss Smith," he replied with the hint of a smile. "I'll be back at the end of the day so we can compare notes. Remember: Sergeant Benton and Captain Chambers are positioned at the west and east of the mall respectively. If I am not available to you, contact them. Good luck."_

_He saluted and walked off, casually swinging his broom about his legs._

The Doctor leaned over his counter, looking through the large window. There was a wide, open space where a door would have been and very pompous-looking glass in swirly designs where the walls stood in any normal shop. Sarah Jane smiled at him from her own counter, a mere 20 feet away. She was wearing a loose, white apron over her usual smart attire, whereas the

Doctor had not bothered to change his outfit in the slightest and had opted for the same smoking jacket and frills he had become accustomed to. Sarah walked over to the rows of lollies and took out a Lemon Drop with her bare hands, plopping it into her mouth. The Doctor watched on enviously.

"I'm starting to not feel so bad about our assigned shops!" said Sarah Jane, still sucking on the sweet and smiling at the Doctor.

"You're just saying that to rub it in my face," he replied, a little loudly to make sure she could hear.

"That I am, and don't you forget it." They both chuckled, although Sarah Jane had a bit more difficulty with a lemon lolly in her mouth.

Just as the Doctor was about to say something, a customer came into his shop. The man spent a few agonizingly long minutes dragging his fingers over the different albums and tapes, scrutinizing each one until he finally picked out an Elton John record and payed for it. He hung around even longer after that, leaning against the pale blue walls and looking at his purchase. Eventually the man left and walked over to the lolly shop. The Doctor attempted to strike up a conversation with Sarah, but she was attending to a mother and her three children, trying to make sense of the chaotic requests for 'sweeties'.

"So, diiid we m-make any saaaaaales?" asked the Doctor's co-worker, clutching a bottle of an unlabeled drink. He had the worst case of bedhead the Doctor had ever seen and heavy dark circles hung under his eyes.

"Just one. I suggest you return to the closet Peter, you look awful," said the Doctor. Peter nodded slowly and sluggishly made his way to the storage room at the back, closing the door with a heavy _**thunk**_.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and continued to wait for Sarah Jane to finish with her customers. There was no real reason that he needed to talk to her. Not really. He was simply bored. That was all. Peter had been sleeping away his drunken haze for most of the morning so there hadn't really been any opportunity to take talk with anyone else.

"Hello there old chap," someone said. The Doctor realised that he'd been staring at his knuckles on the counter, daydreaming again. It was the same man who had bought the Elton John record just moments before. He was casually sucking on a sweet from Sarah's shop.

"How can I help you?" asked the Doctor.

"Wel,l I was just wondering if I could perhaps swap this for a different one of his. I've change my min-" the man froze. His deep brown eyes faded into a luminescent blue and began to glow brightly, giving his face an eerie light. The Doctor jumped out from around the counter and took the man's shoulders.

"Hello there old chap," said the customer. "Well, I was just wondering if I could perhaps swap this for a different one of his. I've changed my min-" The man crumpled into a heap, forcing the Doctor to hold him up.

"Wake up," he ordered. The customer did not respond. The Doctor lowered him to the floor and checked the pulse.

"Dead," he sighed. The man's eyes had faded to their regular brown colour, but whatever had turned them blue had also killed him.

"Sarah Jane!" exclaimed the Doctor, deciding that now was the perfect time to interrupt her sale.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she asked, peering over from behind the shoulders of her latest shopper.

"Call the Brigadier," continued the Doctor. "We've found our first victim!"


	2. A janitor's message

"I honestly don't know what to make of it myself," said the Brigadier, leaning over the body. "Not that I'm pretending to be any sort of expert."

"But he doesn't seem to have died from anything at all," insisted the Doctor. "It's almost like he just ran out of _time_."

"Well, whatever the cause of death, it's definitely the same as the others that have been reported. Most of them seem to be dropping at their own houses or on the streets. I think this may be the first fella to have died at the mall."

"Horrible," whispered Sarah Jane.

"What do you mean?" asked the Doctor.

"All of this. It's horrible. These poor people. What could they have possibly done to deserve this?"

The Doctor stood from his crouching position and helped the Brigadier to lift the man's lifeless form. He still had his Elton John record clutched between his fingers and a paper baggie in his pocket.

"Take those off him will you Sarah? I want to give them a proper check once we've taken him to the U.N.I.T van," requested the Doctor.

Sarah Jane nodded and pried the possessions from the man's cold grip, feeling a little bit like an undertaker, preparing a dead body. She waited in the Doctor's music store, turning away customers due to a lack of knowledge about the till. Across the walkway was her sweet shop, almost filled to the brim with people, but Sarah couldn't bring herself to go over there. Hopefully Milly, the other employee, would take over.

"Thank you for waiting Sarah, but aren't you supposed to be tending the counter of your own place?" asked the Doctor, coming in without the Brigadier, who had presumably gone back to his station of the mall.

"Nah, Milly's got it," she replied, handing the dead man's items to the Doctor and jerking her chin to the shop. A middle-aged woman was expertly dealing with the customers.

"It's fine by me, I was never one to follow the rules anyway." Sarah Jane beamed cheekily at the Doctor, and as he grinned back, she noticed how much younger he looked when he smiled. How the years seemed to just melt away as those ancient eyes lit up. It was a welcome and warming sight.

"Time to see if there's anything peculiar about these lollies. He had nothing else on him besides these and the record as far as I could tell," said the Doctor, his smile vanishing.

"What did those customers think of the dead body?" asked Sarah Jane. The Doctor tore his gaze from the little paper bag.

"We were very discreet," he answered simply. Sarah started to question him again but the Time Lord was absorbed in his work. Sarah Jane patted him affectionately on the back and turned to leave for her own shop.

"Don't go," said the Doctor quickly. "That is, I may need your help."

"You? Need help? Nonsense," teased Sarah, but she stayed with him anyway. People came over to look at the records and Sarah Jane managed to send them all off with an album after learning the basics of that particular till. She hadn't realised how good she was at schmoozing people to buy things. Maybe that would have to be her backup if Journalism and the Doctor didn't work out.

Sarah Jane shuddered. They hadn't been friends for too long, but it had been long enough for her to cringe at the thought of suddenly having to find someone else to take care of. He was already her one constant companion, everyone else seemed to fade away before she could say goodbye. Mum, dad, aunt Lavinia. The latter was always travelling, so it was just her and the Doctor, with of course the lads from U.N.I.T.

"I can't find anything wrong with these sweets!" growled the Doctor, hurtling the bag across the room. Sarah Jane hadn't noticed that he'd set up some sort of makeshift lab right on the counter, probably while she was daydreaming.

"Still," he continued, "better send them off for analysis while I'm stuck here with no one to talk to."

"You have me," said Sarah Jane.

The Doctor's face softened a little and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He took her arm gently and pulled her out from behind the desk.

"I rather think it's time we get back to work," he sighed. "Don't forget your apron Sarah."

The human took her garment off the Doctor and walked ruefully back to the sweet shop. One of the janitors was making his way over, casually sweeping the floor.

"Eh' you," he called, clicking his tongue like he was calling a dog or a horse. "I 'ave a message for ya."

Sarah Jane turned on her heels, halfway to the shop. The Doctor had picked up the sweets he'd thrown on the ground and was watching this encounter with ready eyes.

"One ov' the other cleaners, a chap called Alistair, wan'ed to see ya but 'e was tied up. Told 'im to get 'is priorities straight, that I did. But 'e said that 'e was busy."

"That's all very well and good, but what was the message?" asked Sarah Jane, her patience with this man was thinning rapidly.

"Orr'ight. Alistair said to be a'watching them lifts. There 'ave been some more deaths around that area. Dunno whut that means meself, but there you go."

"Thank you," said Sarah Jane, dashing into the sweet shop. The janitor grinned proudly, knowing that he had done his 'duty for queen and country' as that Alistair chap had put it. He shuffled away happily.

"Milly, I'm going to have to ask you to keep the place running, I've got to be somewhere," requested Sarah.

"Oh sure. You come here to lift some of my load and now you dash off on the first day," replied the woman, bagging a lollipop for a little girl.

"You know that's not why I'm here, and I'm sorry. On the bright side, it's already four 'o' clock so we don't have too much longer to go."

"Fine, just make sure you come back to lock up."

Sarah Jane shed her apron and walked briskly over to the Doctor, who had been watching the whole thing.

"The Brigadier's seen a few more deaths. I'm going to watch the lifts by his sector for a while."

The Doctor nodded, surprisingly not moving to follow her. He said that he was waiting for another scientist from U.N.I.T to come and pick up the lollies.

"I'll make sure to quarantine that particular sweet from your shop while I'm here. Just, act inconspicuous around those lifts Sarah, that was where a woman thought she saw a blue creature of some sort. Be careful."

Sarah Jane wanted to hug him, in case this would be their final goodbye, but the Doctor's rigid stance told her that perhaps now was not the best time. She walked to the south of the mall, alone, giggling to herself at the thought of _the Doctor_ telling her to be inconspicuous. It was the biggest oxymoron that she'd ever heard.

"Glad to see you could make it Miss Smith," said the Brigadier, leaning on his broomstick. Sarah Jane sat on one of the cushy chairs that had been nailed into the floor for people to recline on. She had a perfect view of the two parallel lifts. The Brigadier sat beside her, flexing his fingers.

"I just had to carry out another body," he grumbled. "We'll be able to track down who they are -or rather, were- later."

"So what do we do now?" asked Sarah Jane.

"Now we wait Miss Smith, I'll need your help to keep away any civvies that pass through."

Sarah leaned her head against the soft fabric of the chair, trusting that the Brigadier would wake her up if any blue men or spaceships came by to say hello.


	3. On sale

Sarah Jane hadn't been able to catch a lot of sleep. The Brigadier had already been forced to herd several groups of people away from the lifts before she'd opened her eyes.

"Sorry, they're out of order," said Sarah, blocking the path of a nice, old couple. "Try the stairs instead, the walking's good for you." They shuffled away.

The Brigadier tugged at the collar of his blue jumpsuit in annoyance. He wasn't used to wearing such baggy clothing, and quite frankly it still clung to the odor of its previous occupant.

"Nervous?" asked Sarah Jane.

"Uncomfortable," answered the Brigadier, taking refuge on one of the comfy chairs.

"So, what exactly is it that we're looking for?" She sat beside him.

"I don't really know. Something alien. We may only find a few more unlucky shoppers with glowing blue eyes but as long as everything's been checked over then we can go home and say that we've done a good job regardless."

"How very optimistic of you Brigadier!"

"I do try, Miss Smith."

Sarah Jane tapped her fingers together on her knees. The Doctor was probably wondering why she'd been watching the lifts for so long. At least two hours had passed, with only the company of a fake janitor and the rushed conversations with civilians who had to be shooed away.

"Perhaps I should be getting back," said Sarah. "The sweet shop is as much my responsibility as it is Milly's for now." The Brigadier waved her off and she made her way to the north of the mall. She really did love this place, all the mood lighting and beautiful plants, the swirling pillars and earthy colours. It was like being in a forest. An alien forest.

"There you are!" exclaimed Milly, tossing Sarah Jane her apron. "That Doctor of yours came in and closed off our best-selling lollies. Now our customers are leaving disappointed and empty-handed."

"Sorry, but it had to be done."

Milly rolled her eyes. Sarah Jane went over to see the Doctor in his shop, causing Milly to sigh in annoyance.

_That girl's always going over to talk to him_, she thought._ I'm surprised Miss Smith can even hold a job with all the time she's spending away from it._

Sarah Jane popped her head into the Time Lord's workplace. He wasn't at the counter. In fact, a young (and very clearly, drunk) man was leaning on the surface, hiccuping happily. When he was asked about the Doctor he just gurgled and plonked his head down on his arms.

"Doctor? Where are you?" called Sarah, weaving her way between the shelves of records. She stopped and pulled out an old Beatles album. On sale. Sarah Jane took a step forward with the object still in her grasp. Her foot hit something solid on the floor.

"Oh my god, Doctor!" she cried, dropping to her knees and shaking his unmoving body. There was no response. Sarah placed a careful ear over each of his hearts. Silence.

"Please wake up," she sobbed, burying her nose in his frills. "Please."

* * *

_**A/N: Hey guys, thanks to all of you who have read so far. I know this one was short, but the others shouldn't be. Please drop a review if you've liked it so far. Allons-y! :D**_


	4. Peter's help

"Whut's wrrrrooong with him?" asked Peter, managing to focus his eyes on Sarah Jane for about three seconds before his vision went blurry.

"I don't know," snapped Sarah, fiercely wiping away the tears that continued to stream from her eyes. She lifted the Doctor's neck and placed it on her knee, so that he would be more comfortable. As her fingers touched his cool skin, she felt it. A weak double-pulse.

"He's alive!"

Peter looked at her blankly.

"Help me sit him up properly," ordered Sarah Jane. Peter made his way over and helped to prop the Doctor against one of the shelves. He started to see a little bit more through the haze, and he realised that this woman needed help.

"Is thereee anything I c-could do?" asked Peter. Sarah Jane actually smiled at him. It was small and emotionless, but it was nevertheless a smile.

"Go to the south of the mall," she instructed. "There's a janitor with dark hair and a clipped moustache. Tell him to come to the sweet shop. Tell him...it's urgent."

Peter nodded and jumped to his feet. He loitered in the exit and looked at Sarah Jane.

"Thank you," she said quietly. As soon as Peter had left, Sarah placed both her hands on the Doctor's cheeks. She gently lifted his eyes open. They were not glowing, but they _were_ moving. Wait, moving? Sarah Jane turned her head, and his eyes followed.

"Doctor, can you talk?" she whispered.

Silence.

"Do you know who or what did this to you? Blink once for yes and twice for no."

_Blink._

"Well, when this wears off, we can find them." The Doctor regarded her, his face utterly blank and expressionless. She knew that it was killing him to be so helpless, and it was hurting her to be unable to remedy that. They waited for the Brigadier. Sarah Jane weaved her fingers into the Doctor's and leaned her head against his shoulder. Suddenly she felt a bit of pressure on her thumb; it was the Doctor's hand, weakly closing on hers.

"You're getting better already," beamed Sarah Jane. "Now, I'll be right back okay? I need to see what's taking the Brigadier and that other guy so long. Don't go anywhere." She chuckled a little and knew that the Doctor would have smiled at that. He watched her leave, still frozen to his spot.

"I thought I had dealt with you," spat a voice. The Doctor's eyes followed the sound.

"Perhaps you are some sort of unique specimen of human," the voice continued. "Most of them simply die, but you did not. Come with me." The creature picked up the Doctor as if he were a ragdoll and melted into the air, vanishing with him.

"Sorry I was held up Miss Smith," said the Brigadier. "There's some sort of convention going on upstairs and people are apparently coming in late. I had to divert the lot of them. That man you sent, Peter, stayed behind on my behalf."

"It's fine, but we have to hurry," replied Sarah Jane, speeding up her pace. "Doctor, I've got the Brigadier. We're going to bring you to Bessie so you can rest alright?" Her eyes widened at the empty space and her words trailed out into the silence. The Brigadier shook his head angrily.

"What the hell is going on now?!" he exclaimed, taking off his beret and crunching it in his fist. "How could he have just left?" He took a deep breath, immediately regaining his calm appearance.

"The Doctor didn't _just leave_ Brigadier," said Sarah Jane. "We're either dealing with the aliens that have been causing all this, or some very blind body-snatchers!"

* * *

"Aww, how sweet Doctor. Your human pets are worried for your safety. But they needn't worry, I do not plan to kill you quite yet. Now, if you'll excuse me; I have to go pay them another little visit. Remember them Doctor, let your mind dwell on that in your solitude. I need my subjects to be mentally stable...for the experiments."

The Doctor watched mutely as the creature faded away, and he was left in the darkness.


	5. Singe

"I'm sorry Miss Smith, but we really must get back to the lifts," insisted the Brigadier. "We'll continue the investigation for him at some other time, we haven't enough lads to spare right now."

Sarah Jane nodded in defeat, popping up from behind the music shop's counter. Peter had already come back to his position, more or less sobered up, and had been helping them to search for some kind of machine that could have made the Doctor vanish.

The Brigadier led Sarah to the south end of the mall, where a crowd of people were flooding out of the lifts.

"Hold on! How did you lot get here?" asked the Brigadier, waving his arms about to stop the people in their tracks.

"We've just come from a meeting on the second floor," replied a middle-aged man. He held an easel under one arm and a paper baggie in his other hand. "We're deciding whether the _'1974 British Amateur Art Exhibition' _should be held here, or further east."

"But where did you get these?" asked Sarah Jane, swiping his paper bag. She opened it, and sure enough, the thing was filled with little blue spheres. The very lollies that had been quarantined by the Doctor.

"Some woman was giving them out as a thank you for coming. She was very insistent that we each take a bag."

"Yes, I'm sure she was." Sarah Jane turned to the Brigadier and tossed him the lollies. "Confiscate everyone's 'presents' Brig, I'll see if I can find that woman."

Lethbridge-Stewart almost protested at being ordered about by his professional junior, but he simply pursed his lips and started snatching paper bags from civvies. Sarah Jane pushed through the crowd and jumped into the lift, next stop- floor 2. It wasn't hard to navigate her way to the meeting room after that. Colourful signs with big, cartoony writing pointed straight ahead, and a sign on the door proclaimed: 'B.A.A.E Meeting room'.

"Hello there," said Sarah Jane, walking inside with an air of calm and courage.

"Oh!" squeaked the woman. She wore a tight black skirt and a white blouse, with her ebony hair tied in a loose ponytail.

"I wasn't expecting anyone, the meeting's over," she said, regaining her composure.

"What have you done with the Doctor?" asked Sarah Jane, getting closer and closer to the woman.

"I don't know who you mean!"

"Alright then, why are you giving everyone these lollies? I've seen people _die_ from them!"

"Don't be stupid girl, the sweets cannot kill humans."

"Aha! So you do know_ something_."

The woman dropped her purse and ran out the back door of the meeting room, kicking off her high-heels on the way. Sarah Jane briefly scanned the contents of the bag.

"Blue lollies," she growled, getting up to follow the woman on foot. It was very lucky that she had chosen today to wear comfortable trousers and flat shoes.

"Holy Yuptles!" cried the woman, tripping on one of the many decorative plants that grew from the floor. She fell. Sarah Jane skid to a halt, sat on her stomach and grabbed her arms, effectively trapping the woman.

"Take me to your leader," ordered Sarah, flexing her fingers on her prisoner's wrists. It wasn't exactly her _favorite_ way to get things done, but the Doctor was gone, people were dying, and nothing seemed to make sense. Desperate times...well, you know the rest.

The woman's skin seemed to melt away, revealing a smooth, crimson layer underneath. Her eyes deepened until they were the darkest of blacks and her hair grew longer and more curly.

"I admire your bravery, human," she spat, pushing Sarah Jane off as if she weighed less than nothing. "I am Singe, leader of the Reds. Your wish shall be granted, I will take you to my ship. But only as my prisoner."

"If I can get some questions answered and rescue the Doctor, then I'm in," replied Sarah Jane. Singe picked the human off the floor and held her in a child's embrace. She stepped forward, fading into the air.

* * *

"Home sweet home," Singe growled, unceremoniously dropping Sarah Jane to the ground. The ship was damp and dark, with metal floors and walls. A large monitor lay ahead with a mess of controls under it. Silver androids walked past without so much as a glance towards Singe or Sarah.

"They are my crew," said the red woman, answering the question in Sarah Jane's eyes. "My people are all on the mothership. I am the lone soul in charge of distributing the so-called 'sweets' to this area. After I have conclusive data that this planet is suitable for my species' needs, we will distribute them on a much larger scale than just a shopping mall."

"So, it's like a giant cage, and all the people who come in and out are your guinea pigs?" exclaimed Sarah Jane.

"Just the ones who buy the lollies."

"But why do this in the first place? What purpose could you possibly have by feeding them deadly sweets, world domination or something?"

"I told you girl, they are not deadly. Humans should not be dying from them!"

Sarah Jane walked over to the giant screen and began pressing buttons. Singe hissed like a feral cat and swatted her away.

"Please, I just want to find the Doctor."

"He must have been taken by the Blues, but that's impossible. How could they possibly know that I was here?" Singe typed something into the computer and a list of coordinates scrolled down. She slammed her fist on the controls angrily and typed in something else.

"They're in orbit around Earth, just like me. Invisible no doubt, otherwise my scanners would have noticed their presence sooner. If your friend is indeed a prisoner of theirs, could he help me to kill the Blues if I rescue him?"

Sarah Jane watched as the screen flickered to a recording of another dark, damp room. The Doctor was tied down on a surgical table with some kind of machine strapped to his head. Sarah knew that Singe was waiting for her reply but she honestly didn't know what to say. Was the red woman telling the truth about the lollies? The flashing light on the Doctor's headpiece turned orange and the Time Lord cried out in agony. Machines all around the table started to go haywire, printing out page upon page of information from the Doctor's mind.

"Yes! He can help you," sobbed Sarah Jane desperately, placing her hands on the monitor. "Please, save him."

Singe nodded and pulled down a lever.

"You'd better be right about this," she said. "Or else it won't just be _you_ that I'll kill for lying to me."


	6. I'll explain later

"What am I supposed to do with all this rubbish?" grumbled the Brigadier. Around his feet lay a sizeable pile of paper bags. He sat dejectedly outside the lifts and waited for Sarah Jane to return, preferably with someone that he could interrogate. A young man with a shock of orange hair and ratty clothes sat beside the Brigadier.

"Excuse me," said Lethbridge-Stewart uncomfortably.

"Don't worry, ya not bovering me," replied the man. "Can I 'ave one of them?" he gestured vaguely to the lollies.

"You most certainly cannot. Now look, I am on official business from the _U.N_ and it would be best if you were to just give me some space young man."

"Very well Mr. Janitor. If you insist." The ginger shrugged and stood up. His pale blue eyes flashed ebony.

"What happened to your accent?" asked the Brigadier, reaching into his pocket for his trusty pistol.

"I may not be able to have a sweet, but you certainly can." Ginger's skin melted away to reveal a blue colour underneath. He snatched the Brig's weapon and tossed it across the room. A woman screamed. People were running scared in every direction. Ginger held the Brigadier up by his collar and forced a lolly down the struggling man's throat.

"I'll come back once that's settled. I need to feed."

Ginger faded away, leaving the Brigadier to fall.

* * *

"So, we're just outside their ship right?" asked Sarah Jane. Singe nodded slowly, walking over to one of the silver androids. She clicked her fingers and the thing immediately ran off, coming back seconds later with two large space suits.

"It's a bit big for me, I'm nowhere near as tall as you!" said Sarah.

"They can shrink to your body mass. Just make sure to turn on the oxygen tanks. We'll have to space-walk so they don't see us coming." Singe tossed the smallest to the human and stepped into her own. Once they were both dressed and ready, an android servant guided them to what looked like an escape hatch in the wall. The two women climbed through into the airlock room and waited.

"Is he worth it, your friend?" asked Singe over the intercom. Sarah Jane looked over at the tall red alien. Once again she had been rendered speechless by her. The Doctor was already Sarah Jane's closest companion, even though they had only worked together for a short time. He was probably her best friend despite the age difference. Was he worth putting her life at risk?

"Yes, definitely," said Sarah as the door into space opened. Singe tugged on the cord that connected them and shot some kind of grappling hook gun. The end tethered itself to the Blue's ship and gave the women a lifeline. Singe tugged Sarah Jane along, who had quickly become a deadweight. She shivered beneath the thick fabric of her space suit. She'd never liked heights, but when the infinite stretch of space was looming beneath, she was petrified. When Sarah Jane was a teenager her best friend, Andrea Yates, had plummeted to her doom. The angry waves had swallowed her. That day taught Sarah Jane a good lesson, but also left a scar.

"What's wrong with you?" growled Singe.

"I feel like I'm going to fall," whispered Sarah Jane. She opened her eyes. They were already standing on the platform of the Blue's ship.

"Oh," she squeaked.

"Come on," said Singe, her skin phasing back to human. "We need to get in and _blend_ in. That can't be accomplished with you quivering like a wet puppy. Act as though you are not scared if you truly wish to rescue the old man." Sarah Jane nodded indignantly and stepped through the (now open) door with Singe.

* * *

The Brigadier clutched the toilet seat angrily, trying again to force the wretched lolly out of his stomach. Benton was now watching the lifts, so the Brigadier lurched forward again. Nothing. He sat back and balled his hands into fists. There was simply no way out of this. Not without some help.

* * *

"There's only one of him, just like there's only one of you," hissed Sarah Jane. She and Singe were packed together like sardines inside a supply closet. Instead of blending in, they had stuck out amongst the silver androids like a pair of sore thumbs. Luckily the ginger-haired blue alien hadn't seen them, yet.

"Yes, I hadn't realised it was such a small reconnaissance. Fear not. He will have definitely seen my ship by now, but if we hurry then we should be able to get your friend and run for the hills, so to speak." Singe dropped her space suit in the closet, motioning for Sarah to do the same. They maneuvered their way through hoards of uncaring robots and slipped inside another room.

"How do you know where to go?" said Sarah Jane.

"His ship's layout is precisely the same as mine, down to every detail. We are the same species and therefore get our transport from the same place, but we are from two different factions."

The door closed behind them with a heavy slam. The noise reverberated around the seemingly empty room and made even Singe flinch at its sound.

"Sarah, is that you?" came the Doctor's voice from the shadows. Sarah Jane rushed blindly into the darkness, her hands feeling for him. She stumbled into the table that he was bound to and her fingers soon found his sweaty face.

"It's me," she said. "I'm glad to hear you speak again."

"Well, I've regained most of the feeling in my limbs, but I still feel heavy all over." His voice was also very quiet, but he wasn't whispering. Singe ripped a length of paper from one of the machines that lined the table, causing Sarah to start.

"A Time Lord, eh? Well, you were right girl. He will be very helpful for my cause."

"My name's Sarah Jane, not 'girl'."

"Like it really matters. The Blue has been scanning the Doctor's mind. We'd better leave before he comes back and turns on the lights." Singe tore up the page of information and undid the Doctor's bonds, including the irritable headpiece.

"Can you walk?" asked Sarah Jane.

The Doctor took a few uneasy steps, his feet moving as though they were made of led. Singe rolled her eyes and threw him over her shoulder like a little child. She ran towards the space suits, leaving Sarah to trail behind.

"Oh great, how are we going to take him across?" moaned Singe.

"I'll use my respiratory bypass system. Just make sure you're quick, I can't survive for more than 6 minutes out there," said the Doctor. His speech was still a little slurred but it was easy enough to understand. Sarah Jane slipped into her space suit while Singe got into hers.

"Did you find anything out about why everyone's dying?" hissed Sarah.

"Yes, but I'll explain later," replied the Doctor. Singe picked him up again and opened the door to the decompression room.

"Halt! Trespassers!" cried the blue alien, sprinting frantically with a futuristic weapon in his hands. He fired, the blast narrowly missing Sarah's head. Singe slammed her fist on a button and the door closed.

"No time to wait. Hold your breath Doctor," she barked. "Here we go!"


	7. Dark prison

"Hurry!" cried Sarah Jane. The ginger alien was already standing at the door, space suit on and grappling-hook-gun in hand. He snarled and held it up.

"I'm _trying_ to hurry," said Singe, tugging them along the tether. "I can only go so fast while carrying you and your friend here." The Blue's lifeline zipped towards them, a coiling snake of woven cord and metallic claws. The Doctor suddenly sprung to life and caught the rope, tugging hard. Far on the other ship, Ginger jumped back in shock as his gun was torn from his grip. The Doctor dropped it into the endless impasse of space. He lolled weakly against Singe's back, desperately trying to retain the rest of the oxygen in he'd stored.

"It's alright old man, we're here," cooed Singe, opening the door to her own ship. She actually sounded impressed with the Doctor. Almost like, she respected him all of a sudden. The Doctor shivered as they left the decompression chamber. He opened his eyes and smiled at Sarah Jane.

"Hello Sarah." He chuckled. She shed her space suit and tackled him in a hug once Singe had set him on his feet.

"Hello Doctor," she said into his neck. He sluggishly moved his arms to return the affection.

"I received a lot of information. Hopefully it was more than he got from me. I need to make sure you understand what we're up against," he said.

"What, right now?"

"Well...there's no time like the present."

The Brigadier walked casually out of the men's room, leaning on his broom. He nodded to Benton.

"Are you alright sir?" asked the Sergeant.

"Return to the van Benton, go back to U.N.I.T HQ without me," said the Brigadier.

"But sir-"

"That is an _order!_ The mall is closing but the Doctor and Miss Smith need someone to be here for them. Go!"

Sergeant Benton stiffened and saluted ruefully. He ran purposefully to the exit. Ginger phased into existence and glared at the Brigadier. He licked his blue lips with an animalistic glint in his deep-set eyes.

"Hello Mr. Janitor."

"It's all about Vsector energy Sarah," said the Doctor.

"Which is?" she asked.

"It is a natural substance that is produced from the body of a Red, but turns poisonous if allowed to linger," explained Singe. "We have tried many ways to contain it. An earlier mission proved that humans could safely digest Vsector energy without consequence, so we planned to manufacture pods on a vast scale to rid ourselves of the Vsector."

"Those sweets," began Sarah Jane.

"Exactly," interrupted the Doctor. "And it turns out that the Blues have the exact _opposite_ problem, they can't get _enough_ Vsector but they can't take it in it's raw form, so their agent is extracting it from the humans who have consumed the lollies."

"We're feeding them!" hissed Singe in disgust, clenching her fists. She dashed out of the room and headed straight for the controls of her ship. Sarah Jane took the Doctor's hand and started to run after her. He winced.

"What's wrong?" she asked. The Doctor showed her his palm. It was burnt red and bleeding along the thumb.

"Rope burn," he said. "From when I grabbed his tether."

Sarah Jane took his other hand and smiled, a small, sad smile. What she needed more than anything in that moment, as they sprinted towards Singe, was a hug and some kind words. The feminist Sarah couldn't help but cringe at the thought, but the scared little girl just wanted to be told that everything was going to be alright in the end. Still, she had to be brave, for him and for the Earth. At that point, Sarah Jane's thoughts turned to the Brigadier. He would probably still be waiting.

"I'm going to blast that wretched Blue out of the sky!" cried Singe, skimming her fingers over buttons and levers. She spun a toggle and the whole ship heaved to the right.

"This isn't the way to do things, I know how we can save everyone," insisted the Doctor.

"He's been killing her people-" Singe pointed angrily to Sarah Jane, "-and yet you still defend him?"

"If you destroy his ship, the wreckage will not burn up in the Earth's atmosphere. You're risking at least 2 billion lives. The others are not dead! Please, just let me explain!"

"It's too late Doctor, I'm going to kill that Blue, if it's the last thing that any of us ever witness!"

The Brigadier screamed silently from inside his dark prison. He was completely unable to move, unable to cry out for help. He watched as Ginger faded away. Benton came over and shook him desperately, calling to his leader. He dragged the Brig away, to the U.N.I.T van.

To lay with the dead.


	8. To find a cure

The Doctor lunged forward and ducked under Singe's swinging fists. He was deceptively fast for someone who was still recovering from paralysation. Sarah Jane followed his drastic action and pulled Singe's arms away from him. The alien woman glared with a murderous glint in her eyes and took hold of Sarah's neck. Suddenly, she froze, her fingers taut on the human's flesh. The Doctor had his thumbs on a vital nerve and was pushing down hard. She collapsed.

"Thanks," coughed Sarah Jane. The Doctor seemed to not hear her, his mind focusing on the intricate computer of the ship. He finally managed to shut off Singe's attack.

"We have to get back to Earth, those people aren't dead," declared the Doctor.

"Yes, you said that," replied Sarah Jane. "But what does that mean?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked incredulously.

"Not really."

"The effect of the Vsector energy being taken out of their bodies so quickly has left them all paralysed, to the point where even the heart cannot be heard! It even worked on me, but being a Time Lord I healed myself faster and was able to move sooner. If we don't get to the victims and clear this whole thing up, they'll be buried alive by their own people."

"And the blue guy is still at large."

"That too." The Doctor crouched by Singe and gently slapped her cheeks until she woke up.

"Can you teleport us to Earth?" he asked.

"S-s-sorry," she said slowly, clutching her head to stop the room from spinning. "I can only t-take one person at a t-time. That's why I couldn't phase back to my s-ship with the both of you."

"Then take one of us and come back," suggested Sarah Jane.

"It's hard," moaned Singe. "I have to prepare for a phasing at least fifteen Earth minutes before it can happen. Usually I am prepared at all times, but you two can not be taken down together."

"You go Sarah," said the Doctor. "Convince the Brigadier not to send that van off, convince them to stay until I can come."

"What are you going to do?"

"Find medical supplies aboard this ship, something to save them. Remember, don't eat the lollies."

Sarah Jane rolled her eyes and walked over to him as Singe got to her feet. She moved to give him a kiss on the cheek, but hesitated awkwardly and ended up giving him a quick hug instead. Singe pulled Sarah away from the Doctor and put her arm around the girl. They faded away. The Doctor knew he had fifteen minutes until Singe was prepared to come back for him, and another fifteen minutes to take him to Earth, so he made his way briskly through the hallways of the ship.

Someone knocked on the hull. _Knock, knock, knock._ The sound of a fist through metal echoed around the ship. The Doctor ignored it, but the sound continued to follow him. _Knock, knock, knock. _He passed the depressurization chamber, and through the glass a face glared at him. A blue face in a space suit.

"How did you get here so fast?" the Doctor muttered. Ginger knocked again to make sure he had the Doctor's attention and reached to open the door.

"Oh no you don't!" The Time Lord whipped out his sonic screwdriver and forced the hatch to lock. Ginger banged his fists against the metal in outrage.

"I'm guessing you can't phase in here old chap, so I'm going to keep this short," promised the Doctor, leaning in and making his mouth movements very clear for Ginger to read. "The Earth is not your hunting ground. Those people can barely understand that the universe is so much _bigger _than them, let alone comprehend the existence of intelligent life outside of their homes. But they do have me. Leave this place, or I will stop you."

Ginger knocked one last time, his mouth moving silently.

"_She dies."_

He flickered and vanished into the Darkness. The Doctor ran his fingers through his silver curls in anguish.

"Sarah! What have I done?" he growled to himself. "Not her," he said forcefully. "Not if I can help it."

* * *

"Stop!" cried Sarah Jane, running alongside the slowly moving van as it picked up speed. She waved her arms frantically. Sergeant Benton didn't see her. Singe ran up with incredible pace and took hold of the passenger door. She stopped dead in her tracks, forcing the van to a sudden halt.

"What's the meaning of this?" asked Benton, stepping out of the driver's side. "Sarah Jane? What are you doing here? The mall's closed! Although, to be fair, I was supposed to have left a while ago. For some reason I just couldn't bring myself to quite do it."

"That's because those people in your van aren't dead! They're paralysed, we have to keep them here. Doctor's orders"

Sergeant Benton sighed in relief. "Good, I was scared of having to tell all the families, especially since the Brigadier…"

Sarah Jane understood what his words were implying. She turned to Singe with unshed tears in her eyes.

"Come on, we should probably make everyone a bit more comfortable."

Benton finally noticed the tall, red woman. His mouth opened and shut like a goldfish, but he ended up saluting the two instead of arguing. After all, he'd seen aliens before.

The trio sat in the darkness, repositioning the limp bodies so that they weren't squished up beside each other, but were instead sitting against the walls. Captain Chambers called Benton several times, getting more and more agitated with each conversation.

"Look, sir, I told you: I can't come back to HQ right now, Brigadier's orders. Over"

"Last I heard, he was ordering you to return soldier! Over"

"Orders changed. Over"

"How? I thought he'd had it. You said-"

"I know what I said, but these orders come from someone very important. Goodbye sir. Out"

"Benton! Don't you dare-"

The Sergeant smiled apologetically at Sarah Jane and Singe, tossing away the walkie-talkie. His warmth instantly dropped as he saw Sarah reposition the Brigadier's head. He started to say something. Suddenly a blue-skinned figure appeared out of thin air, pushing the humans and Singe into the walls.

"You're coming with me," he hissed, pointing at Sarah Jane. "We're going back to my ship, above the Earth, where we'll have a merry old time together."

He pressed his face into her neck, his hot breath stinging her skin.

"And then, I'm going to eat you up!"


	9. Magic

Sarah Jane glanced to Singe and Benton, both seemed to be frozen in shock by the sheer presence of the Blue, who was reaching for the human's collar. Sarah swatted away his hand furiously.

"Don't touch me," she growled. Singe suddenly jumped to her feet, grabbing the Blue by his shoulders and tossing him out of the van.

"I am Liorr," said the ginger alien, brushing the pebbles from his clothes. "And I have always wanted to fight a red. Bring it on." He lunged at Singe, clawing her arms and forcing her to the ground. Sarah Jane shook Benton until he finally seemed to notice what was going on. The humans snuck out of the van, taking up a position on either side of the fight.

"No one's winning!" exclaimed Sarah Jane. "I think they're locked in a stalemate." Liorr pushed himself out of Singe's grip and saw Sarah watching him. He pointed angrily, marking her as his next victim.

"Stop, or I'll shoot!" yelled Benton. Liorr dodged Singe's flailing arms and took hold of Sarah Jane. She panicked and thrust out her foot, hitting him square between the legs. Liorr cried like a little child and collapsed, clutching himself in pain. Sergeant Benton sent an amused grin Sarah's way and Singe actually laughed.

"Well done girl." The Red looked down at the Blue, shaking her head. "Good fight, comrade."

"Thank you," he whimpered. Singe helped Liorr to his feet. There had been more than enough fighting for them both.

"Your factions are at war, but maybe you could help each other. Reds can send their Vactor energy to the Blues so that both survive," suggested Sarah Jane.

"That's _Vsector_ energy Sarah," chided a voice. The Doctor stood on the grass, watching the party with a smile. "What do you say you two, is it worth a try?"

Singe and Liorr nodded.

"Good." Sarah Jane walked over to the Doctor, expecting to give him a hug as the two aliens were now embraced, but her arms passed through the empty air.

"I'm still on the ship Sarah, I've got to make sure these two heal all the humans. I _was_ going to come and rescue you, you know. But you seem to have helped y_ourself_." Sarah Jane chuckled as his image faded away. Singe took hold of Liorr's hand and waved to Sarah.

"Thank you both. We will return to our home and try to make peace..."

"...even if it's the last thing we do," continued Liorr. They flickered and vanished, leaving the humans alone. Sarah Jane sat on the edge of the U.N.I.T van, looking at Benton. A few moments went by.

"What the blazes am I doing in here? Oh good grief! I remember, that blue chap came and-" Sarah Jane stifled the Brigadier with a wholly unprofessional hug. He grumbled as Benton joined the affection. They both jumped back as the others, the ones thought dead, came back to life. A dull white light snaked its way out of the revived people, dissipating in the night sky. The Doctor faded into existence, cramped right into the middle of the crowd.

"I say Doctor, you've come back at last," noted the Brigadier. The Time Lord shuffled out of the van with the hoard of confused civilians and took Sarah Jane's hand.

"They're going home, to spread the message of peace, et cetera," he whispered to her.

"You know, you two have got a lot of paperwork to fill out. We'll need to explain all of this to the government, I'll have to make a full report to Geneva. It won't happen by magic you know...Blast, they've walked off. I guess it's up to you and I to talk to all these people." The Brigadier glanced to the Sergeant, who was happily watching the Doctor and Sarah Jane walk away together.

"Alright sir."

* * *

"Are you sure you want to see this Sarah? It may not have turned out right at all." The Doctor leaned against the TARDIS doors. Sarah Jane nodded, flicking the large red switch to open them.

"I want to make sure it all worked out for them, in the end," she said, walking past him.

The shining world of the Reds and the Blues was absolutely stunning. Its sky was blazed pink and green, a forest of giant grass blades stretched towards the horizon.

"I can't see any people. What do you think happened?" muttered Sarah Jane. The Doctor had no answer. Sarah turned to go back inside, devastated that it had all gone so badly.

"Look!" exclaimed the Doctor. A small, purple-skinned child was chasing a tall blue man. They laughed together and danced through the giant stalks of grass until a red arm poked through, beckoning them. The family disappeared.

"I think they'll be just fine, don't you?" asked the Doctor. Sarah Jane slipped her hand into his as another purple child ran past the door. The boy smiled up at the two strangers.

"Mummy! It's the Doctor and Sarah!" he called. The Time Lord and the human stepped out into the alien world, spirals of white energy floating in multi-coloured sky. Sarah Jane thought back to the Brigadier, laden with his boring paperwork and duties. This was where the magic really happened.

And where it always would.


End file.
